Manchester City won the match against Leeds United by 3-2, but inside the Etihad Stadium the full story was not happiness, celebration and joy. Yes, Phil Foden saved the day with a heroic stoppage-time winner, but something much deeper and more emotional was happening behind the scenes. The focus was not only on the three goals scored or the three points picked up, the focus was on one man who everybody expected to shine, one man who normally destroys defenders, one man who everybody placed their hope on for Fantasy Premier League points, one man who has become the face of Manchester City football. That man is Erling Haaland. But this time the big striker who normally wears the mask of a football monster looked very human, very frustrated, and according to some fans, very disappointing. For the first time in a long time, the noise inside the stadium was not only about winning, it was about people asking questions about Haaland, and some fans even went online to call him finished.
The game started fast, Manchester City flying like champions. Phil Foden scored very early, making the crowd roar with relief and excitement. Before Leeds could even settle, Josko Gvardiol scored again and in the first 25 minutes it looked like Leeds had come to Etihad only to collect humiliation and nothing more. City looked comfortable, the passing was sharp, the pressing was aggressive, and the sky-blue crowd was already preparing to watch another comfortable Premier League afternoon. But football is emotional, unpredictable and dramatic, and Leeds United decided that they were not going to die quietly. Lukas Nmecha scored, Leeds began to gather confidence, and before City fans realised what was happening, the game was 2-2. The stadium changed. The atmosphere changed. The players changed. City looked nervous, Guardiola looked tense, and the only thing that stayed the same was Haaland’s struggle.
The fans were frustrated, not only because the team lost control, but because their hero Haaland was not getting involved the way they wanted. In 90 minutes he took only one shot. Normally Haaland can take five or six shots in a match, score two goals and still look angry because he wanted more. But this time, nothing worked. He barely touched the ball, he lost duels, and defenders who normally fear him suddenly looked comfortable dealing with him. Many Fantasy Premier League managers were shouting, hoping he would wake up, hoping he would score, hoping that their triple-captain gamble would pay off. But the disappointment kept growing as the minutes passed.
People online, especially angry Fantasy Premier League players, did not waste time. One fan went straight to X (Twitter) and posted that Haaland is finished. Another fan called both Jeremy Doku and Haaland shocking. Some even said Haaland is not world class, just a regular player who only knows how to score tap-ins. The internet can be brutal, especially when emotions are high. More than one million FPL managers used their triple captain on Haaland for this match, and when the full-time whistle blew without a goal from him, the explosion online was expected. Somebody even compared Haaland to Igor Thiago from Brentford, who scored two goals against Burnley. They called Haaland a fraud for not matching Thiago’s points. It was almost funny how fast people switched, but at the same time it showed how spoiled football fans have become because of how extraordinary Haaland has been in previous seasons.
But the biggest drama did not happen on social media, it happened right on the pitch in front of everybody watching live. As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Pep Guardiola walked straight to Haaland. He looked upset and serious. Everyone could see on his face that he wanted to talk immediately. Haaland, clearly frustrated and disappointed in himself, did not look like he wanted the conversation. Pep started talking, pointing, holding onto him while Haaland tried to walk away. For a few seconds the whole world saw the two football giants in visible disagreement. The striker wanted to escape the conversation, the coach wanted to force it. It was tense, emotional and uncomfortable. Eventually Haaland walked away, but also without shouting or making a scene. Still, the pictures and the body language told a story bigger than words. It showed frustration from the player, desperation from the manager, and pressure from the situation.
The statistics from the match did not help Haaland’s case. In 90 minutes he completed only seven accurate passes. He touched the ball just 25 times. He won only four of his twelve duels. He committed fouls and he looked like a man living inside his own head, overthinking every move instead of playing freely. For a striker who is known for destroying records and scoring goals almost every week, this performance looked unusually powerless.
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Some Manchester City fans defended him, saying every great striker sometimes has quiet games. But other fans were not patient, especially the online community that lives on reaction and shock. The problem here is not only that Haaland did not score, it is that this became the third match in a row where he did not find the net. For most strikers in the world, three games without a goal is normal. For Haaland, three games without a goal becomes breaking news. That is how high the expectations on him have become. His own success has created a mountain that he now has to climb every single week.
Inside the stadium, even though City won, people were still talking about Haaland. Not only because of the blank performance but also because of the tense moment with Guardiola. Every football fan knows that managers and players argue sometimes, but when a superstar striker is struggling and the manager is grabbing him for an intense discussion on camera, fans will create theories. Some will say Haaland is angry at the tactics. Some will say Guardiola is not happy with Haaland’s body language. Some will say the relationship is breaking. Some will say Haaland is thinking about Real Madrid. People will say anything when emotions are high. Even though nothing was officially confirmed, the tension itself was enough to feed the football world for days.
But the truth is, Haaland is not finished. He is not a fraud. He is not an average striker. Even Pep Guardiola made that clear later in his interview. The coach explained that the discussion on the pitch was not about tactics or conflict. It was about protecting Haaland and reminding him that he needs rest. Guardiola said Haaland has a very big body, he plays so many minutes, and sometimes even when the legs are fine, the mind needs a break. Guardiola reminded everybody that Haaland will get his 100th Premier League goal soon, maybe even in the next match. But fans do not always listen when they are angry. They want goals, they want points, they want domination.
What makes this story more dramatic is the moment Manchester City are currently in. The Premier League title race is heated. Arsenal are leading, and Manchester City are trying to keep the pressure on them. Every point matters. Every match is a final. Guardiola and his players know that dropping points now could cost the title later. That is why the pressure on Haaland is not only personal, it is also collective. City need him. They need his goals, his power, his danger. They have a difficult week ahead with matches against Fulham and Sunderland. If Haaland does not find his best form again soon, the title race could shift completely.
But the story of football is never finished after one day, one match or one argument. Football always gives room for comebacks, redemption and new moments. Haaland might be quiet today, but he could score a hat-trick tomorrow. The same people calling him finished could call him king again within seven days. That is the chaos and beauty of football. One game you are a hero, the next game you are a villain, and then suddenly you become a hero again.
Even on a night where the headlines should have been about Phil Foden’s last-minute winner, Haaland still became the main character. That is the life of superstars. People talk when you shine, and they talk even louder when you struggle. Haaland will hear everything, Guardiola will hear everything, and the pressure will keep increasing. But champions are not measured by how they look during their best moment, champions are measured by how they respond during difficult moments.
Maybe, just maybe, this little crisis is exactly what will make Haaland even more dangerous. Maybe the anger, the frustration and the noise will wake something inside him. Maybe the next match is where the beast will return. Because one thing that history has taught football fans is this: Haaland does not stay silent for long. So for now the world will wait. Some will doubt him. Some will abuse him. Some will support him. But everybody will watch him. And when the moment comes again, when the net shakes again, when the crowd explodes again, Haaland will remind everybody exactly who he is.
